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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · wax · rock · pound · firm · pitch · trunk · pitcher

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com